PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Spina bifida is the most common permanently disabling birth defect in the United States and requires complex and long-term medical care. Enhanced understanding of care practices of spina bifida programs and about health outcomes will improve outcomes and quality of life experiences for persons living with spina bifida. Evidence from other complex and chronic conditions has shown that a National Spina Bifida Patient Registry allows for comparison of outcome data among care centers and identification of strategies to improve outcomes. Assessment by the Spina Bifida Association in collaboration with other groups identified need for a national infrastructure to support clinical research and a systematic approach to improving quality of care for people with spina bifida. This project will facilitate continued implementation and refinement of a national spina bifida patient registry. OHSU has a long history of addressing systems of care for people with spina bifida, including participation in the national registry efforts since their inception, and this project builds on experience that includes systematic collection and evaluation of clinical data. This project contributes to building the clinical evidence base about current health practices in spina bifida care and health outcomes; this evidence is needed to aid development and adoption of national standards of care for people with spina bifida that can be applied to reduce disparities and improve health outcomes across clinics, populations, and regions of the US. The primary objective of this application is to extend participation in the National Spina Bifida Patient Registry via utilization of the standardized registry tool to collect data from patients with spina bifida. A complete source for spina bifida patient data will make it possible to compare treatments and outcomes of populations and identify areas for future research to guide best clinical practices and improve the lives of persons living with spina bifida. Continued participation in the project will emphasize ongoing collection of data on participating patients. Further, project personnel will collaborate with professionals at other sites participating in the registry to analyze obtained data and disseminate findings.